Day 2395 (Friday) 29th December 2023

Today’s special photos…

This is Menton

and this is Nice.

It was a bit cloudy today but we decided to go to the Christmas market in Antibes anyway. We took Kisbee 2 up to Pat and Dee’s place, parked up and got in the car. This is the view from their carpark. 

The promenade in Nice was packed full of tourists enjoying the weak sunshine and lunch, it almost looked like summer. 

It was a shame the sky wasn’t picture perfect blue because the market looks much better when it is, but the stalls were still lovely.

We had a glass of vin chaud and shared some chips at one of the stalls.

I bought some sweets on our way out – this sweet stall is amazing and it sold lots of very expensive nougat.

This is the rest of the website from yesterday and the day before…

Top French Experiences Outside of Paris

It's no surprise that Paris is the most visited city in France and that's well reflected in the list yesterday. We recommend to all our clients to spend some time outside of Paris - every region is different and there are so many amazing places to see. In particular, check out:

Mont St Michel

Champagne

Loire Valley Châteaux

Chamonix (Alps)

Chartres

Lyonnais "bouchons" (local bistros)

Dune du Pilat (Arcachon Bay)

The Three Corniches (Nice)

D-Day beaches and memorial sites

Pont du Gard (south-west France)

Provençal markets (and really, any markets!)

Carnac Megaliths

Alsatian wine route

Brittany's coastline

Lascaux's prehistoric caves

Bordeaux

France's Gastronomy 

Arguably, France is the country of wine and gastronomy. You can go as far back as Roman times and already Parisian Romans were devouring foie gras and live oysters rushed in from the Atlantic. During Louis XIV's reign, some banquets could serve as many as 32 main courses and 16 desserts. The French really invented the concept of gastronomy and it continues to be a defining part of French culture today. Each region will have its own culinary specialties and it will take more than just one trip to explore them all.

French gastronomic tradition

In 2010, the French gastronomic meal and its rituals have been recognised as an intangible UNESCO cultural heritage. Even in every day life, the French remain very attached to the three-meal day. Traditionally, breakfast is eaten in the morning, lunch is served around 1pm and dinner at around 8pm.

Bread, Pastries and Sweet Treats

Boulangeries (for bread and viennoiseries) and patisseries (for sweet treats) are an institution in France. They are so ingrained in French day-to-day culture that a law exists that prevents all the boulangeries in the same town to close at the same time for vacation. If you have a sweet tooth, there is definitely a good pastry shop near you where you can melt for a chocolate éclair or lemon meringue tart. 

French restaurants also pay close attention to their dessert menus. Today's Frenchman is a little more considerate of their waistline and so the concept of café gourmand (coffee accompanied by tasty mini-pastries) has become very popular at the end of a meal.

Great Wines and Liqueurs

With great food comes great wine. It's not surprising that most wine regions are also home to some of France's most famous food dishes and specialties. In France, wine is made to be drunk alongside great food. It serves to highlight the dishes and awakens the taste buds. A lot of thought is put into pairing the right wine with the right food; for example. a French waiter will rarely take the wine order before the food order. 

In France, there are vineyards everywhere: in the Bordeaux region, Burgundy, Alsace, the Rhône valley, the Loire valley and the Mediterranean coast. There are even a few in Paris itself, near Montmartre. 

If you're not into wine, France also produces other world-famous alcoholic beverages, from Brittany's Cider to the Loire Valley's Cognac. And don't forget beer which is the beverage of choice in Eastern France.

Regional Specialties

Each French region has its own gastronomic culture. Here are the top highlights from North to South:

• North: try some maroilles cheese with ham.

• East: head easy for the Reims region for a glass of champagne. Continue further east to Alsace to eat some delicious sauerkraut or flammeküeche and sip on a glass of Riesling, a dry white wine made in both France and Germany.

• Centre: In Burgundy, you'll be able to taste authentic Boeuf Bourguignon, escargots and the famous goujons (the original cheese puff, but so, so much better). In Auvergne Rhônes-Alpes, Aligot or Montélimar nougat will delight your sweet taste buds. Pause in a Lyonnais bouchons for an authentic bistro experience, including red-and-white checked tablecloths.

• South: In Marseilles, make sure to try bouillabaisse, the local fish stew made from the day's catch, or ratatouille and finish on a sweet note with some Tarte Tropézienne.

• West: The South-West is home to foie gras, cassoulet and Roquefort. After you've taken a digestive break, head up the Atlantic seaboard. The first stop is in Bordeaux to try some canelés followed by a stop in Nantes for gâteau Nantais. Finally, once in Brittany, order the largest seafood platter to savour local lobster, oysters, crabs and prawns and follow it up with a buckwheat crêpe and a cup of cider. Just next to Brittany, Normandy will give you your fill of cream and cheeses like Camembert and Pont l'Eveque.

• Paris: finally, end your trip in the Paris region with all of its specialties, like Brie and local pastries, such as St Honoré, Paris-Brest or macaroons. 

When to Travel

If possible, try to avoid French school holidays and Easter. During those times, hotels are likely to be overbooked and traffic on the roads is really terrible. French school holidays will vary from region to region, but the key dates are typically:

Winter holidays: 10th Feb – 10th Mar

Spring holidays: 10th Apr – 10th May (typically around Easter)

Summer holidays: 14th Jul – 31st August

There are fun experiences to do throughout the year, but generally speaking, the most beautiful time to visit France is going to be May - June and September. If you want to enjoy France's winter sports, January and February are the optimal months. Winter can get very cold, sometimes even freezing. Make sure to bring appropriate clothing to keep you warm while visiting.